Method for displaying information in a motor vehicle and display device for a motor vehicle

The present invention relates to a method of displaying information in a motor vehicle, wherein at least one planar object is represented by a display mounted on the motor vehicle, the planar object comprising a display field and an operating field. The invention further relates to a display device for a motor vehicle with a display for graphical representation of information, a user interface system by which at least one graphic object can be created, shown on the display, the graphic object comprising a display field and an operating field, and with an input device data connected to the user's interface system.

There are various information and communication areas in a motor vehicle to which indicating instruments are assigned. They are used to inform the driver and co-passenger. They can then help the driver navigate or communicate with the outside world. The display can visually present, in particular, data related to the traffic situation or data related to the operation of the vehicle. Near the driver's first field of view the so-called set of indicators. It is usually located in the cab behind the steering wheel, but it is visible through the steering wheel opening. It is primarily used to indicate speed, fuel tank content, radiator temperature and other information related to the operation of a motor vehicle. Then the radio and audio functions can be presented. Finally, menus for telephone, navigation, telematics services and multimedia programs can be displayed. Liquid crystal displays in various designs are usually used as displays.

DE 100 01 988 A1 describes a set of indicators for indicating information related to a traffic situation or a vehicle operation. To receive a great deal of information, DE 103 03792 A1 proposes perspective views of three-dimensional elements.

As the next display device, the vehicle often has a multi-functional display in the center console or above the center console. Such a multi-functional control element is described, for example, in DE 199 41 955 A1.

In order to clearly display the control and display options, hierarchical menu structures are often used. The menu shows various menu items and possibly graphics or icons belonging to menu items. When selecting a point from the menu it opens

-2 sub-menus with further sub-menu items. This structure can be continued through many levels of the hierarchy. In addition, a specific display image can be assigned to one menu item instead of a submenu that shows the information assigned to the menu item.

When such menu structures are used in a motor vehicle, the problem arises that navigation within these menu structures and the reception of information indicated on the display affects the driver's concentration in such a way that it is no longer possible to simultaneously safely drive the motor vehicle by the driver. So, if a driver wants to operate vehicle equipment, whose information is presented on the display device, he should do it before driving or, therefore, stop driving. However, such operating difficulties are undesirable. They often lead to the driver operating a vehicle device while driving, although this leads to disturbance of concentration, which can lead to a risk of loss of safety.

Therefore, it is advisable to present the information in a motor vehicle in such a way that it can be received by the driver quickly and intuitively so that capturing the information presented does not interfere with the driver's focus while driving. Then, the operation should be carried out intuitively, simply and quickly, so that the driver can operate the vehicle device, whose information is displayed on the display device, also when possibly a comprehensive hierarchical structure can be represented via the display device. The presentation of information and the associated information in a motor vehicle thus contribute to confidence when driving a motor vehicle.

Finally, WO 2006/108617 A2 describes a method of presenting information in a means of transport in which information is presented in the form of hierarchical menu structures. Furthermore, a device for presenting information by means of a control unit and an indication unit for spatial information presentation and a corresponding set of indicators for a motor vehicle are described. The spatial presentation presents at least two different menus or menu items at different distances for the observer.

The object of the present invention is to create a display method and device, of the kind described at the outset, in which information is received as quickly and intuitively as possible and which enables the quick, intuitive and simple operation of the devices in the vehicle whose information is presented.

This task is solved according to the invention by means of a method with the features of claim 1 and a display device with the features of claim 10. Preferred and further embodiments follow from the dependent claims.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that graphical data is generated by the user interface arrangement which causes the display to be controlled such that the display field is represented on one side of the flat graphic object and the operating field on the other side of the flat graphic object and when entering data by means of data input devices, interface unit calculation unit

The user changes the graphic data so that the graphic object rotates from one side to the other in a perspective display. The flat object has in particular a front side and a rear side, on which the operating area or display area is represented.

In a motor vehicle, information should be shown to vehicle passengers, especially the driver. This information includes especially information about the operation of the vehicle. This information then applies to displays that are assigned to multiple devices in the vehicle. In the same way, however, the information display should also support the operation of vehicle equipment. Here, the display indication works with the input device. The display visualizes the operating steps performed by the inserter and then shows the possible operating steps. When displaying information in a motor vehicle, a distinction must be made between indicating units which serve to present information correctly and indicating units which relate to the operation of motor vehicle equipment.

In a standard way, the information display in a motor vehicle has both display units in different areas of the display. According to the present invention, display content, which is only a representation of information unrelated to the operating steps, is displayed in the display field, and separately displayed content that includes visualizations of the operating steps are displayed in the operating field. This distinction in the content of information facilitates the observer's quick and intuitive reception of the information presented, so that safety during driving is increased, because the driver by receiving the displayed information is slightly distracted from driving.

According to the invention, the division of the display field and the graphic object service area is visualized for the observer, then by the fact that both fields are presented on different sides of the flat graphic object, and the observer can, by entering data, rotate the perspective representation of the graphic object on the display from one side to the other and in this way to reach from the display field to the service area and vice versa.

The display field of the graphic object especially presents information about driver assistance systems.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the computational unit of the user interface system generates graphic data for successive intermediate images representing rotation, wherein the rotation can be divided into a first phase in which the image points of the graphic object are moved with acceleration and a second phase in which the image points of the graphic object are moved with braking. In this case, the first phase corresponds to, for example, the rotation angle of the graphic object from 0 ° to 90 ° and the second phase corresponds to the rotation angle of the graphic object from 90 ° to 180 °. The axis of rotation is in particular inside the graphic object. Preferably the axis is directed towards the height of the display. Then the axis is preferably centered in the graphic object.

-4 Accelerated motion is understood to mean positive acceleration at which speed increases, and slow motion is understood to mean negative acceleration at which speed decreases.

In the method according to the invention, the type and manner in which objects are rotated is of particular importance. The presentation of this movement depends on how well and quickly the observer can orientate himself in the objects, even when they were rotated. It turned out that many animation techniques are not suitable for use in a motor vehicle, because in a motor vehicle the observer only looks at the display for a short time. The temporal course of changing the position of the graphic object is therefore also very important for safety while driving.

According to a preferred further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the following calculation steps are carried out in the calculation of graphic data for successive intermediate images, for representing the rotation of the successive positions x points of the image of the graphic object in the first phase:

(and)

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(ii). ·. · Where t is the system time in which the generated graphical data is displayed, with the t = t0 at the beginning of the first phase rotation, d1 is the duration of the first phase, b1 is the starting position of the graphic object image point, c1 is the total shift point of the graphic object image in the first phase and in this process steps (i) and (ii) are repeated as often as t> (t0 + d1).

In addition, when calculating graphic data for consecutive intermediate images, for representing the rotation of consecutive positions x image points of the graphic object in the second phase:

(i) (ii) ίί = 4 ^ -ι χ = i_and -ł-_and (1 - η *] where t is the system time in which the generated graphical data are displayed, where at the beginning of the first phase rotation t = t0, d2 is the duration of the second phase, b2 is the starting position of the image point of the graphic object, c2 is the total point shift of the graphic object image in the second phase and at this stage (i) and (ii) are repeated by the calculation unit as often as t> (t0 + d2).

In addition, the duration of total turnover is particularly important for the traceability of the information presented. In the method according to the invention, the total rotation duration

-5 is in the range of 0.5 seconds to 2 seconds, preferably in the range of 1 second to

1.5 seconds. The duration of the first phase rotation is particularly in the range of 0.25 seconds to 1 second and preferably in the range of 0.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds. Then the duration of the second phase rotation is in the range of 0.25 seconds to 1 second, preferably in the range of 0.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds. It is then advantageous if the duration of the first phase rotation corresponds to the duration of the second phase rotation.

According to a preferred further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the speed of the motor vehicle and the duration of the total rotation or the duration of the rotation of the first phase and / or the second phase depending on the speed of the motor vehicle are measured. Preferably, the duration of rotation is the longer, the higher the speed of the motor vehicle. At high speeds, the driver can only look at the display for shorter periods of time. In addition, the time interval at which the driver looks at the display is greater because at higher speeds the driver must focus attention on what is happening while driving. Combining the duration of a flat object's rotation with the speed of a motor vehicle ensures that at higher speeds the driver will remember the information presentation setting and will be able to detect the information content quickly and intuitively.

The control field, depicted on one side of a flat object, includes in particular buttons through which data input is carried out by means of the data entry device.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the data are entered by touching the display. According to another embodiment, the data is entered by a gesture of the user's body parts that is performed in front of the display. The gesture is received and analyzed by the data input device or by another device additionally connected. The gesture of the user's body parts can be detected, for example, by a capacitive connection between the body part and the receiving device. Then the gesture of the user's body parts can be detected by infrared radiation and the reflection of this infrared radiation on the user's body parts.

The display device according to the invention is characterized in that graphic user data is generated by the user interface system which causes the display to be controlled such that the display field is represented on one side of the flat graphic object and the operating field on the other side of the flat graphic object and the user interface arrangement a computing device with which, depending on the data input by means of a data input device, graphic data can be changed so that the flat graphic object in perspective view rotates from one side to the other.

With the help of the calculation unit of the user interface system, in particular, graphic data is generated for successive intermediate images for the representation of rotation, the rotation being divided into a first phase in which the object image points

The graphic are moved with acceleration and a second phase in which the image points of the graphic object are moved with braking.

When calculating the graphic data for successive intermediate images in the first or second phase, in particular, the above-mentioned calculation steps for the first or second phase are carried out by the calculation unit. Also, the duration of rotation of the first or second phase is especially within the above range.

According to a preferred further embodiment, the display device according to the invention comprises an interface for receiving data for a motor vehicle speed. Using the calculation unit, in this case, depending on these speed data, the duration of the total rotation or the duration of the rotation of the first and / or second phase can be calculated.

The input device may be a touch-sensitive display surface. Preferably the data entry device is a device for receiving and evaluating a gesture of a user's body part that is shown on the display. Here, the input device may in particular comprise a receiving device which receives a signal from a user body part when the body part is in the vicinity of the input device. The position of the body part can be detected with this capacitive connection. Based on the temporary change of this item, you can apply for the user gesture.

Then, according to another embodiment, the data input device may comprise an infrared source or a reflected infrared receiver for receiving a gesture of a user's body part. Also in this case, the position of the body part is detected and its temporary change interpreted as a gesture.

Preferably, the user interface system is connected to a driver assistance system. The graphic data is generated in this case by the user interface system so that the driver assistance system information can be represented in the display field of the graphic object.

Finally, the invention relates to a motor vehicle with the display device described above.

The invention will now be explained based on an embodiment with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a display device according to the invention and a combination of this display device with other motor vehicle devices,

Figure 2 shows the display indicator for the display field of the graphic object, formed on the basis of an embodiment of the method according to the invention,

Figure 3 shows a display indicator for a graphic object handling field formed on the basis of an embodiment of the method according to the invention and

Figure 4 shows the time course of the point of the image of the graphic object on rotation, from the display indicator in Fig. 2 to the display indicator in Fig. 3.

The display device includes a display 1 for graphically presenting information. The display 1 may be a Matrix display, e.g. LCD (liquid crystal display), especially a TFT (thin-film transistor) color display. Then the display can be the so-called twisted nematic-liquid crystal display (TNLCD), super twisted nematic (STN) display, STN double layer, FLC (ferro electric liquid crystal) or SSFLC (surface stabilized ferro electric liquid crystal) display. The display 7 is assigned background lighting (not shown), which can be made of one or more LEDs. Display 1 is freely programmable, i.e. any graphic data can be generated that is shown on display 1.

The display 1 is mounted in particular in the area of ​​the vehicle which is clearly visible to the driver at least. If the operation of the vehicle equipment is directly related to the arrangement of the display so that the user must, for example, move his hand or finger at least near the display 1 to enter data, the display 1 is positioned so that the driver of the vehicle can easily reach it hand or finger. For example, the display 1 may be in the center console of the vehicle.

Display 1 is connected to the user interface system 2, by means of which graphic data can be generated for the graphic objects 1 shown on the display. Then the user interface system 2 is connected to a data input device 4 through which the user can control the vehicle devices whose information is shown on display 1.

The device for entering data 4 can be, for example, a device for receiving and analyzing the gesture of a part of the user's body. For example, the user's hand can make gestures in front of the display 1. In this case, the three-dimensional position of the hand is received by the display 1 in a defined residence area, without having to touch the display 1. The acceptable residence area depends on the location of display 1 in a motor vehicle. The area should be chosen so that the user's hand's stay in this area of ​​residence is clearly associated with the operation of the device for entering 4 data. The boundary of the residence area can be, for example, 40 cm to 10 cm in front of the display 1. If the user's hand is closer to the display 1 than the threshold value given, this will be recognized by the data entry device 4 and the zoom will be interpreted as the intention to operate. This can lead, for example, to the fact that the objects shown on the display 1 can be represented differently. Then it can be interpreted as

-8 data entry, which leads to the rotation of the graphic object, which will be explained in more detail below. The data entry device 4 receives the position and movement of the user's hand in the residence area. At the same time, various hand gestures are recognized and interpreted as data entry.

The data entry device 4 may include, for example, infrared sources and infrared receivers that receive infrared light reflected on the hand. Details of such an input device are described in DE 100 58 244 C2. Further data entry devices that can be used in conjunction with the display device are described in the following documents DE 103 05 341 A1 and DE 10 2004 048 956 A1.

In addition, the position of the hand and its temporary change can be detected by means of an optical system. In this arrangement, the light diode emits, for example, light with the shape of a rectangle, amplitude modulated. This light is reflected on the detected object, i.e. the hands and after reflection it goes to the photodiode. Another light emitting diode also emits this rectangular light to the photodiode, which is amplitude-modulated, which is also phase-shifted by 180 °. In the photodiode, both light signals overlap and cancel each other because they have the same amplitudes. If the signals in the photodiode do not overlap, the light emission of the second diode is regulated by the control circuit so that the total reception signal equalizes again to zero. If the position of the object changes, the proportion of light that reaches from the first diode to the photodiode also changes through reflection on the object. This tracks the intensity of the second LED through the control circuit. The control circuit thus determines the measure for the reflection of light on the object that is emitted by the first diode. In this way, a signal characteristic of the position of the object is generated by the control circuit.

In addition, the data entry device may comprise a touch-sensitive foil which is provided on the display 1. With the help of the foil, the position of the touch of the display 1 behind the foil can be detected. The film can be made, for example, as a resistive tactile film, capacitive tactile film or piezoelectric film. The film can then be made so that a heat flow, e.g. coming out of the user's fingers, can be measured. You can get various data by temporarily touching the foil. For example, in the simplest example, touching the foil in a specific position can be assigned to the graphic object shown on the display 1. In addition, the sliding of the fingers on the foil can be interpreted. In particular, the user can thus define the lines on the display 1 in such a way that he touches the film at one point, moves on the film to another point and takes his finger from the film at the next point.

Finally, a removable control element can be used as an input device. The removable control element is particularly about a mechanical control element. For example, a rotary switch can be used so that the objects shown on the display can be adjusted and can be selected by pressing the rotary switch. Then the rotation angle can be entered directly via the rotary switch, which will be explained later

-9 parts. Additionally, separate buttons can be mounted around the rotary switch, whereby the arrangement of the display fields to which the buttons are assigned corresponds at least schematically to the arrangement of the buttons. The information system of the invention may include, for example, a multifunction control device as described in EP 1 212 208 B1.

The user interface system 2 is then coupled to the system clock 8 and vehicle data bus 7. Via the vehicle data bus 7, the user interface system 2 is connected to the vehicle's driver assistance system. The user interface system 2 contains the driver data bus 7 data of the driver assistance systems and prepares them so that the data is presented to the driver or co-passenger graphically via the display 1. For this purpose, the user interface system 2 generates graphic data for the objects 1 shown on the display, which, among other things, graphically present driver assistance system information. The user interface system 2 is then connected via the vehicle data bus 7 to various information devices, communication devices and vehicle handling devices. Various vehicle equipment information is generated in a user interface 2 system and converted into graphic data for graphic representation. For the animation of the graphic representation on the display, the user interface system 2 includes a computing unit 3, which during the production of intermediate images is based on the system clock 8.

The display of information on the display 1 of the vehicle will be explained in detail below.

The object 6 shown on display 1 is a graphic representation of a rectangular surface that includes a display field at the front and a control field at the back. Figure 2 shows the view of the display 1 in which the display field of the graphic object 6 is visible, and in figure 3 the view of the display 1 in which the graphic object is visible. The object of the present embodiment relates to a vehicle navigation system. In this case, for example, a geographical card is shown in the display field. The display field shows especially small buttons that are associated with the operating steps. In the control field, however, various buttons 9 are shown, with which the navigation system can be operated via the input device 4. In particular, the destination for the navigation system can be entered via the control field.

In order to switch from the view shown in figure 2 to the view shown in figure 3, the graphic object can be rotated from one side to the other around axis 5 when entering data by means of the data entry device 4. The axis 5 is vertical, i.e. set towards the height of the display 1. It intersects the graphic object 5 preferably through the center. The rotation of the graphic object 6 is shown in perspective, i.e. in the width direction of the display 1. The offset of the graphic point of the image thus corresponds to the rotation angle of the graphic object 6 shown in perspective.

-10 The next descriptions refer to the position of the image points of the graphic object 6 in the horizontal direction. These positions can be easily converted in rotation angles.

In the method of rotating the graphic object 6 described above, it is very important to switch between two static representations on the display 1, in which the front or back of the object 6 is shown. Since the display device is mounted in a motor vehicle, it is particularly important that, in particular, the driver of a motor vehicle can detect quickly, easily and intuitively the information shown on the display also when he looks at the display 1 only for short periods of time. It is very important that the user always very well distinguish between the display field and the operating area. It turned out that sudden changes in display images are very bad. In particular, it has been found that smooth transitions between two static representations, in which intermediate images are depicted, which clearly show the transition between two static representations, facilitate orientation in structure and detectability of information content.

Then it is very important how the intermediate images visualize the transition between two static representations. It turned out that a linear transition from a static representation to the next static representation is not appropriate for use in a motor vehicle. Furthermore, intermediate images that illustrate the movement of the object 6, which is accelerated and inhibited, are preferred. The parameters for selecting the acceleration and the duration of the transition must also be selected for use in the vehicle, so that standard animations known in the IT field are not usually used.

The following describes in detail how the graphic object 6 is rotated:

The rotation of graphic object 6 is divided into two phases. In the first phase, the object 6 is rotated from the initial position shown in figure 2, by 90 ° to the neutral position, in which only the frontal surface of the graphic object is still visible. In the second phase, the graphic object is rotated further to an angle of rotation of 180 ° until the other side of the graphic object 6, shown in figure 3, becomes visible. When rotating, each visible side of the graphic object 6 is shown in perspective on each surface. The perspective representation of rotation can be both such that the observer looks directly at the graphic object 6, i.e. the observation distance runs parallel to the normal virtual graphic object 6. Then the perspective presentation can be done so that the observer sees the graphic object 6 virtually obliquely from above. It is assumed below that the observer looks perpendicularly to the surfaces of the graphic object 6, shown in Figures 2 and 3, so that the perspective representation of the graphic object 6 leads in the first phase to the decreasing surface of the graphic object 6 and in the second phase to the increasing surface of the graphic object 6. If it is assumed, for example, that the width of the graphic object 6 covers 800 points of the display image 1 and the points are marked with a digit 0 on the left edge of the graphic object 6, the image points of the left edge of the graphic object 6 move during the first phase to the image point 400 on the screen center of graphic object 6 and from there to image point 800 on the right edge of graphic object 6. Image point 0 corresponds to

<img file="PL2181014T3_D0002.tif" />

<img file="PL2181014T3_D0003.tif" />

same rotation angle 0 °, image point 400 rotation angle 90 ° and image point 800 rotation angle 180 °.

The rotation of the graphic object 6 is represented by consecutive intermediate images that show successive positions of the image object graphic points 6. When calculating the graphic data for these x positions, the following calculation steps are performed in the first phase:

(i) (ii) .V ·?; ".-; ^:Δ where t is the system time in which the generated graphical data is shown on display 1, with the t = t0 at the beginning of the first phase rotation, d1 is the duration of the first phase, b1 is the starting position of the image point of the graphic object 6, c1 is the total by shifting the point of the graphic object image 6 in the first phase and in this process steps (i) and (ii) are repeated as often as t> (t0 + d1).

The following calculation steps are carried out for phase two:

(i) (ii) - = ό ^_!Γ;

where t is the system time in which the generated graphic data is shown on display 1, where at the beginning of the rotation of the first phase t = t0, d2 is the duration of the second phase, b2 is the starting position of the image point of the graphic object 6, c2 is the total point shift image of the graphic object 6 in the second phase and the steps (i) and (ii) are repeated by the calculation unit as often as t> (t0 + d2).

The calculation steps are performed by the calculation unit 3 of the user interface system 2, with the calculation unit 3 taking the system time t from the system clock 8.

Duration d1 of the first phase rotation is in the range of 0.25 seconds to 1 second, especially in the range of 0.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds. Likewise, the duration of the second phase rotation is in the range of 0.25 seconds to 1 second, especially in the range of 0.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds.

Figure 4 shows the time course of the image point during 180 ° rotation. The image point of the left edge of the graphic object 6 moves from position 0 through the neutral position at point 400 to the right edge of the graphic object 6 at image point 800. As can be seen in Figure 4, the image point is accelerated in the first phase and inhibited in the second phase. The duration of the rotation was 0.75 seconds for each phase so that a 180 ° rotation was carried out within 1.5 seconds.

According to a further embodiment, the motor vehicle speed meter data is transmitted via the user interface system 2 and thereby through the calculation unit 3 via the vehicle data bus 7. These data are used by calculation unit 3 to determine the duration of the turnover for both phases. At the same time, the duration of the total rotation is the longer, the higher the speed of the motor vehicle.

List of designations 1 display user interface layout 3 calculation unit 4 data entry device 5 rotation data object data bus in the vehicle 8 system clock 9 buttons

Prepared and verified

Gamekeek Palka Patent agent